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Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims
What does it mean to be Muslim in Britain today? If the media is anything to go by, it has something to do with mosques, community leaders, whether you wear a veil, and what your views on religious extremists are. But as all our lives become increasingly entwined with our online presence, British Muslims are taking to social media to carve their own narratives and tell their own stories, challenging stereotypes along the way.
Follow Me, Akhi explores how young Muslims in Britain are using the internet to determine their own religious identity, both within their communities and as part of the country they live in.
Entering a world of Muslim dating apps, social media influencers, online preachers, and LGBTQ and ex-Muslim groups, journalist Hussein Kesvani explores how British Islam has evolved into a multi-dimensional cultural identity that goes well beyond the confines of the mosque. He shows how a new generation of Muslims who have grown up in the internet age use blogs, vlogging, and tweets to define their religion on their terms—something that could change the course of 'British Islam' forever.
Follow Me, Akhi explores how young Muslims in Britain are using the internet to determine their own religious identity, both within their communities and as part of the country they live in.
Entering a world of Muslim dating apps, social media influencers, online preachers, and LGBTQ and ex-Muslim groups, journalist Hussein Kesvani explores how British Islam has evolved into a multi-dimensional cultural identity that goes well beyond the confines of the mosque. He shows how a new generation of Muslims who have grown up in the internet age use blogs, vlogging, and tweets to define their religion on their terms—something that could change the course of 'British Islam' forever.
- GenresNonfictionReligionIslam
208 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2019
11 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 11, 2022
“It is in the online world that young British Muslims are making their choices that define the nuances of their religious identity, and discover how that relates to other parts of their identity.”
The internet is a neutral entity that facilitates the exploration and formation of the young British Muslim’s identity. Social media is often the avenue of choice by which many Muslims ultimately configure their primary identity and religious alignment. Through a series of intimate, candid interviews with both prominent Muslim internet personalities and ordinary Muslims hailing from almost every corner of the internet, Kesvani impressively reveals how British Muslims utilise the internet to express themselves.
For some, the internet represents a utopia that allows them to connect with likeminded individuals and to air their grievances openly without the judgement of their peers in the real world. For others, the internet is integral in spreading the message of Islam; social media is but a tool devoted to this higher enterprise.
“The internet is a crucial component to understanding what contemporary British Muslim identity looks like.”
Covid or no, our lives are inevitably being spent online, with many of us increasingly dependent on the internet to discover who we are and what we stand for. The internet can also provide comfort in ensuring us we aren’t alone in our spiritual struggles. Those of us born in the late 90s witnessed the advent of social media in late childhood, when platforms such as MySpace, AOL and MSN dominated the online sphere (yes, there was an era before TikTok, kids). It was through this that we initially began warming to the idea of digital communication in the first instance, as well as the ability to interact with people across the globe (‘stranger danger’ is a thing of the past now, it seems). There is, however, a profound difference between those of us in our mid-twenties who were obligated to acclimatise to the digital world and those of us now who are exposed from birth. Although Kesvani book doesn’t touch upon this digital dichotomy, I’d be curious to know to what extent our lives were influenced by the OG social media platforms.
As someone who has been involved in social media since its inception, I have been exposed to almost every subgroup mentioned in this book. Kesvani’s investigation thus didn’t present anything new to me personally, but the honesty and impartiality with which he presented the experiences of his interviewees was refreshing and made for an amusing, nostalgia-inducing experience.
Kesvani begins by mentioning the rise of online imams and YouTube being utilised in its early days to disseminate Islamic information. Specific mention is made of popular Internet personalities such as Dawah Man, Mufti Menk, Khalid Yasin, Muhammad Hijab and Mufti Abu Layth, the latter of whom is interviewed in this book. Kesvani also details how these figures are perceived on the spectrum of religiosity by getting insights from their fans. Other chapters touch upon sex and dating; the Muslim #MeToo movement; gaming culture; Muslim influencers; extremism and counter-extremism; the Red Pill ‘akh-right’ movement; and the experiences of minority groups, such as Ahmadis, LGBTQ Muslims and ex-Muslims, the latter of whom admit to running into the arms of racist anti-Islam groups and are dumbfounded when they’re still discriminated against and rejected.
If I’m honest I didn’t have high expectations for this book, so I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. Kesvani succeeds in demonstrating just how broad the functionality of the internet is and how it can be used to both bring one closer to the deen and take one further from it. I think it’s interesting that now youngsters can message learned shuyukh and imams using the very social media they use on a daily basis to answer their questions and guide them.
There are instances in this book where it is queried whether the online world is rendering masajid and traditional scholarship methods redundant, but the majority of respondents are firm in asserting that try as it might, the online sphere will never be a replacement for traditional learning in the masajid, nor should we strive for it to be.
“The big fear is having a generation of women younger than me—who’ve truly grown up on the internet, who have had all the big conversations about Islam on the internet—just find the masjid irrelevant. And that could really put their future at risk.”
The internet is a neutral entity that facilitates the exploration and formation of the young British Muslim’s identity. Social media is often the avenue of choice by which many Muslims ultimately configure their primary identity and religious alignment. Through a series of intimate, candid interviews with both prominent Muslim internet personalities and ordinary Muslims hailing from almost every corner of the internet, Kesvani impressively reveals how British Muslims utilise the internet to express themselves.
For some, the internet represents a utopia that allows them to connect with likeminded individuals and to air their grievances openly without the judgement of their peers in the real world. For others, the internet is integral in spreading the message of Islam; social media is but a tool devoted to this higher enterprise.
“The internet is a crucial component to understanding what contemporary British Muslim identity looks like.”
Covid or no, our lives are inevitably being spent online, with many of us increasingly dependent on the internet to discover who we are and what we stand for. The internet can also provide comfort in ensuring us we aren’t alone in our spiritual struggles. Those of us born in the late 90s witnessed the advent of social media in late childhood, when platforms such as MySpace, AOL and MSN dominated the online sphere (yes, there was an era before TikTok, kids). It was through this that we initially began warming to the idea of digital communication in the first instance, as well as the ability to interact with people across the globe (‘stranger danger’ is a thing of the past now, it seems). There is, however, a profound difference between those of us in our mid-twenties who were obligated to acclimatise to the digital world and those of us now who are exposed from birth. Although Kesvani book doesn’t touch upon this digital dichotomy, I’d be curious to know to what extent our lives were influenced by the OG social media platforms.
As someone who has been involved in social media since its inception, I have been exposed to almost every subgroup mentioned in this book. Kesvani’s investigation thus didn’t present anything new to me personally, but the honesty and impartiality with which he presented the experiences of his interviewees was refreshing and made for an amusing, nostalgia-inducing experience.
Kesvani begins by mentioning the rise of online imams and YouTube being utilised in its early days to disseminate Islamic information. Specific mention is made of popular Internet personalities such as Dawah Man, Mufti Menk, Khalid Yasin, Muhammad Hijab and Mufti Abu Layth, the latter of whom is interviewed in this book. Kesvani also details how these figures are perceived on the spectrum of religiosity by getting insights from their fans. Other chapters touch upon sex and dating; the Muslim #MeToo movement; gaming culture; Muslim influencers; extremism and counter-extremism; the Red Pill ‘akh-right’ movement; and the experiences of minority groups, such as Ahmadis, LGBTQ Muslims and ex-Muslims, the latter of whom admit to running into the arms of racist anti-Islam groups and are dumbfounded when they’re still discriminated against and rejected.
If I’m honest I didn’t have high expectations for this book, so I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. Kesvani succeeds in demonstrating just how broad the functionality of the internet is and how it can be used to both bring one closer to the deen and take one further from it. I think it’s interesting that now youngsters can message learned shuyukh and imams using the very social media they use on a daily basis to answer their questions and guide them.
There are instances in this book where it is queried whether the online world is rendering masajid and traditional scholarship methods redundant, but the majority of respondents are firm in asserting that try as it might, the online sphere will never be a replacement for traditional learning in the masajid, nor should we strive for it to be.
“The big fear is having a generation of women younger than me—who’ve truly grown up on the internet, who have had all the big conversations about Islam on the internet—just find the masjid irrelevant. And that could really put their future at risk.”
June 22, 2019
I expected a trove of soup jokes and instead I learned loads.
February 22, 2020
As a teacher and Muslim I found this book fascinating. The irony is that the pace of online change is so rapid it will probably be outdated in a few years. For now, it remains an insightful and relevant book. I really appreciated Kesvani's closing statement about the Muslim community in Britain not being monolithic and the importance of not painting a picture with broad strokes of the brush.
May 26, 2021
An interesting overview of some aspects of British Muslims online. Obviously Internet life moves much faster than one can keep up with when writing and publishing, but this broadly covered some bits about YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit etc.
July 31, 2021
I wanna read this again!
At the moment, I'm astonished this book hasn't received nearly as enough praise as it should!
The cute author Hussain Kesvani has done a fantastic job diving into the significant ups and downs of how being in Muslim in Europe can feel like. I loved how Kesvani wasn't afraid of jumping into various, as well as sometimes tabu topics, ranging from Islamophobia, struggles of Muslim dating, radicalism/jihad, to Muslim online influencers.
This is what we need!^^ more Muslim authors who aren't afraid to dismantle the Muslim stereotypes and judgments! I sincerely hope the author publishes more books in the future I.A.
It's a great book for anyone interested in learning more about being Muslim.
5/5 <333
At the moment, I'm astonished this book hasn't received nearly as enough praise as it should!
The cute author Hussain Kesvani has done a fantastic job diving into the significant ups and downs of how being in Muslim in Europe can feel like. I loved how Kesvani wasn't afraid of jumping into various, as well as sometimes tabu topics, ranging from Islamophobia, struggles of Muslim dating, radicalism/jihad, to Muslim online influencers.
This is what we need!^^ more Muslim authors who aren't afraid to dismantle the Muslim stereotypes and judgments! I sincerely hope the author publishes more books in the future I.A.
It's a great book for anyone interested in learning more about being Muslim.
5/5 <333
April 18, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and learning about the multitude of subgroups on the internet that exists to serve as the representation that many lack in real life. Even though this book is short it talks about a lot of different aspects and some are things I myself wondered about when I lived in the UK. It’s interesting for those who are interested to know about the different experiences Muslims face based on surrounding, upbringing, culture, education, community etc.
Throughout this book the author’s own opinions are not really visible; he doesn’t comment on people’s beliefs or ideas with his own instead he leads the conversation by providing the differing opinions of his interviewees and I thought that was great.
Throughout this book the author’s own opinions are not really visible; he doesn’t comment on people’s beliefs or ideas with his own instead he leads the conversation by providing the differing opinions of his interviewees and I thought that was great.
July 6, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable, Kesvani does a fab job of exploring a wide variety of different Muslim sub cultures within the UK and how they are exploring their identity through technology/social media.
May 15, 2020
So, either I (and every other Muslim I know well) live(s) in a bubble, or this book seriously doesn’t “represent me(us)”! I could hardly relate to any of the uses online Kesvani mentions in his book. There are literally two paragraphs in his conclusion which I can resonate with on a personal level; one was the last one which is about the future. His conclusion is far from conclusive to the rest of his writing.
Kesvani’s penultimate chapter is entitled ‘Minorities’. I really think that that should be the title of his whole entire book: “The online world of minority British Muslims”. You can tell his stance and stand point on many controversial issues. Although he denies it in the book, he is undermining “traditional” methods of practising Muslims.
Despite my seemingly negative and personal remarks, I think that this book is very eye-opening to what many -despite still perhaps being a minority- Muslims in Britain are up to nowadays online. We need to seriously watch this space…
Kesvani’s penultimate chapter is entitled ‘Minorities’. I really think that that should be the title of his whole entire book: “The online world of minority British Muslims”. You can tell his stance and stand point on many controversial issues. Although he denies it in the book, he is undermining “traditional” methods of practising Muslims.
Despite my seemingly negative and personal remarks, I think that this book is very eye-opening to what many -despite still perhaps being a minority- Muslims in Britain are up to nowadays online. We need to seriously watch this space…
July 10, 2023
What I enjoyed about this book was the ride that Kesvani takes us on. As our guide through the online world of Muslims, he’s a wayfarer, a kind of Ibn as-Sabeel but his road is a digital one. And he’s not afraid to tell the tour group when he’s got them lost. There’s a great moment where, during one part of the discussion, he interjets with: 'I could be entirely wrong.'
It’s that kind of confidence – to be able to admit that your research is ongoing, that your conclusions could be incorrect, or simply that you may change your mind down the line – that makes him such an appealing writer.
While this book would certainly have great value for those doing research into this area, it’s written in an easy style as Kesvani takes us down all kinds of side streets and alleyways, as he explores parts of the Internet that ultimately illuminate the lives (both online and offline) of Muslims in Britain.
But more than that, his focus is so specific that it ends up being universal. He’s writing about far more than the online lives of UK Muslims; rather, it paints a picture of many of the challenges Muslims face around the world – the online world offering both much-needed solutions as well as a number of as-yet-unsolved problems.
It’s that kind of confidence – to be able to admit that your research is ongoing, that your conclusions could be incorrect, or simply that you may change your mind down the line – that makes him such an appealing writer.
While this book would certainly have great value for those doing research into this area, it’s written in an easy style as Kesvani takes us down all kinds of side streets and alleyways, as he explores parts of the Internet that ultimately illuminate the lives (both online and offline) of Muslims in Britain.
But more than that, his focus is so specific that it ends up being universal. He’s writing about far more than the online lives of UK Muslims; rather, it paints a picture of many of the challenges Muslims face around the world – the online world offering both much-needed solutions as well as a number of as-yet-unsolved problems.
May 31, 2020
It shouldn't really be a revelation that different Muslims use the internet in different ways - Muslim dating sites, online Islamic teaching, LGBTQ+ groups, gamers, etc. Kesvani talks to normal people doing normal things and finding their space to do it online. Not Earth shattering stuff, not spectacular, just...kinda normal. Do people trying to radicalise others online get mentioned? Yes, but a minor section, as is probably appropriate. It still left me wondering by the end, what about wind-up merchants debating whether coffee is a soup? We may never know.
August 5, 2025
"Writing in 2008, Yahya Birt diagnoses one of Sheikh Google’s failings, noting that ‘Electronic fatwas … ignore any original context of time and place to speak for “Islam” globally, for Muslims everywhere, in soundbite for-mat. This loss of context … is injurious to intellectual expertise, proper deliberation and intra-religious pluralism"
August 9, 2020
A great insight into the countless worlds Muslims have and the transforming ways we communicate, understand and articulate ourselves through technology and social media. The Muslim identity is complex, always changing due to the multifaceted components we all embody. https://t.co/dGtZrYaUHj
June 15, 2021
Writing about internet-native things can run the risk of quickly feeling obsolete, but that’s not an issue here. Informative on a subject I’m not hugely familiar with, but written in a way that’s accessible without being patronising, which is probably harder than it sounds
June 27, 2020
Very well written and insightful .
April 17, 2021
Enjoyable read to relive trauma of British and American Muslim twitter
August 29, 2021
enjoyed this and found a lot that i could relate to. i especially appreciated the nonjudgmental tone in the section on “space for minorities”, including the chapter on ex-muslims
August 20, 2022
Ah this book was amazing
I devoured it in Mani hhaha
the insight was just chefs kiss, and it was great to read some non fiction innit.
I devoured it in Mani hhaha
the insight was just chefs kiss, and it was great to read some non fiction innit.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews